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Teething problems with e-filing at Penang courts

Tuesday, 06 September 2011 08:29am

©The New Straits Times (Used by permission)

GEORGE TOWN: It has been three months since the implementation of the e-filing system (EFS) at the Penang courts.

While the full benefits of the system, which enables parties in a suit to file cause papers through an e-filing portal without the need to file hard copies will only be seen later, it is now having some teething problems.

Penang Bar Committee chairman E. Gnasegaran, in an interview recently, raised several issues which he felt needed addressing.

He said judicial officers and judges must be trained to operate the system when conducting trials and deliberating on the evidence adduced, especially when it involved large numbers of documents.

"At this juncture, they (judicial officers and judges) are still asking us for hard copies. This should not be the case.

"With the full implementation of the system, it should be paperless. All should be equipped to familiarise themselves with the system."

Gnasegaran said there was a need for regular training or a course for all parties involved, including senior assistant registrars, judges and lawyers.

He said that although a briefing was given before the implementation of the system, it only involved the initial administrative stages like filing of documents and extractions.

In order to do e-filing, lawyers were required to get an organisation certificate that costs RM1,500 each from MSC Trustgate, a third-party company, which is valid for two years and is non-transferable.

Gnasegaran said only a small number of firms had registered to use the EFS and most were still using the services offered by the service bureau at the courts which was free of charge.

He said if fees were imposed to use the service at the service bureau, the cost had to be worked out to ensure it would not be a burden to the firms.

On the issue of unrealistic targets set by Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi by way of key performance indicators for disposal of cases, Gnasegaran said the courts were now more flexible in exercising its discretion and granting adjournments when warranted.

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